USA > Illinois > Williamson County > Historical souvenir of Williamson County, Illinois : being a brief review of the county from date of founding to the present > Part 13
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Mr. Campbell is an active worker in the Christian field, is a member of the M. E. church and Superin- tendent of its Sunday School. He rightly regards the religion of Christ as the most potent influence for good in the world and sees no reason to discard or even neglect the best and most efficient instrument for one of less power for usefulness. Hav- ing a good, sharp steel sword, he has no desire to exchange it for a wood- en one. Hence, his labors and all his influence in all reformative work or for the benefit or upbuilding of his fellowmen are and must he dis- tinctively Christian, and that simply because he, being a Christian, de- sires that what little good he can do in the world shall be for the honor of the Christian name and principles and to none other whatever. Let others use a wooden sword if they have none better, but he has the "Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
Mr. Campbell is republican in poli- tics, but not an active politician.
In July, 1903. he was elected the Secretary and Treasurer of the Ma- rion Pressed Brick Company and as such looks after the interests of their extensive plant at the crossing of the Illinois Central and Coal Belt Railways.
ALBERT M. TOWNSEND.
Albert M. Townsend was born August 26, 1851, in Carroll county, Tennessee. He was from staunch I'nion stock who dared and suffered much at the hands of guerrillas, during the dark days of the war. His mother died at the beginning of the war, his father was killed by guerrillas during the war, one broth- er was cruelly murdered by them when he crept from his hiding place in the brush in order to get food to sustain life, while another, a
mere boy, was hung by them, but on relenting they cut him down be- fore life was extinct and thus he was spared. He died April 15, 1903. By these untoward events, the sub- ject of this sketch was left an or- phan at the age of ten and the only one left on the farm to support the family of smaller children and look after the crops and their few beasts. Under the circumstances, it is not to be wondered at that his schooling in Tennessee was very light. However, after he came to Williamson county, when past twenty-one years old, he secured three terms of schooling by working out nights and mornings and by the day in summer, in order to pay his board. He spent four tears in Williamson county, and then moved to Senatobia, Miss., where he followed the trade of a carpenter and builder until 1892 when he returned with his wife and children to
Williamson county. While in Mississippi, he married Miss Virginia Adman, a Tennessee lady, by whom he has had five chil- dren, three of whom are still living. He is a republican in politics, and was elected Justice of the Peace on that ticket in 1886. but finding it was a hindrance to his business, he resigned. In 1890 he was elected county treasurer and in 1892 moved to Marion, where he has since resid- ed. In 1884 he first became a mem- ber of the Primitive Baptist church, where his membership still stands and of which he is at present clerk. He belongs to the directorate of the First National Bank and is a mem- ber in good standing of the Blue Lodge of the A. F. and A. M. In April 15, 1903, he formed a partner- ship with Thomas A. Cox in the im- plement business under the firm name of Cox & Townsend. They handle all kinds of farm implements wagons, buggies, etc.
ROLLA HOLLAND.
Rolla Holland, farmer and stock- man, was born in Monongahela coun- ty, West Virginia, December 1, 1851. In 1861 he came to Illinois with his parents and grew up on a farm. November 29, 1879, he was married to Mary Roberts by whom he has four children.
He is a director of the First Na- tional Bank of Marion.
THOMAS J. BINKLEY.
Insurance and Director of Marion State and Savings Bank.
In common with so large a propor- tion of the leading citizens of south- ern Illinois, the subject of this sketch is a native of Tennessee, but
mostly reared and educated in this county, where his active life has been spent. He was born January 12, 1850, in Cheatham county, on the Cumberland mountains about twenty miles from Nashville. His father, A. N. Binkley, was one of those sinewy sons of energy out of whose sterling qualities of head and heart has come a very large share of the brawn and brain of this coun- try. He lived and toiled and died on his native mountains in Tennes- see. He was born in 1812 and died in 1878. His only brother was George Washington Binkley, who settled at a very early day four miles north of Marion when the country was practically a wil'erness and be- came one of the leading actors in the affairs of this part of Illinois for many years. He served in the state legislature at Springfield and was equally successful and popular as a man, in politics, or in business. His wife was even more remarkable than himself and reared no less than twelve adopted children, besides two of her own. . Thomas came to Ma- rion in 1867 and settled on the old Binkley place. When about four- teen years old, he with his father and family listened to the roar of cannon at the battle of Fort Don- aldson only forty miles away. His education was that of the common school sort with a term or two at the academy in his Tennessee home before moving west. For thirteen years he followed farming, but in 1882 went into the insurance busi- ness and for twenty years has been the leading man in that line in Southern Illinois. Following the usual custom at first, he canvassed this county and the adjoining terri- tory until he has established a repu- tation that brings his customers to him for miles around.
In 1895 he established the Ma- rion Steam Laundry at a cost of $3,000, which he later sold. He has never dabbled in politics nor run for office, except for city council in which he served two terms. His only interest outside of his insur- ance and real estate, being in his bank, the First National Bank, of which he has been a director for about twelve years, being re-elected annually, and the Christian church, of which he has been a member since 1865. He was married Decem- ber 23, 1868, to Miss Cynthia Parlee Goddard, the daughter of Wesley Goddard. Nine children blessed this union of which five are living, Ro- wena, who married Eugene Ewbank and lives in Johnson City: George W., now a clerk for No. 3 mine: Roy Goddard, clerk for the Egyptian Powder Mills: Rome, a conductor on the Electric Coal Belt Line, and Net- tie, the youngest now seventeen
years old, living at home.
109
SOUVENIR OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS
WILLIAMSON COUNTY SAVINGS BANK OFFICIALS.
GRO. H. GOODALL, Director.
J. B. BAINBRIDGE, Director.
JAS. W. GENT, Director.
J. M. BURKHART, Vice President.
JOAB GOODALL, President.
W. S. BURKHART, Cashier.
JAS. L. ADAMS Director.
W. H. WARDER, Director.
M. CANTOR, Director.
110
SOUVENIR OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
INTERNAL VIEW OF THE MARION STATE AND SAVINGS BANK. C. H. Dennison, President, at the left: Earl B. Jackson, cashier, and F. R. Borton, assistant cashier, at the window.
Marion State and Savings Bank
We give two views of this elegant bank building herein showing both its external and internal appearance. It was erected in 1903 by Gill & Pride, contractors and builders. The second story is ocenpied as the City Hall and Council Chamber and the justice court and law office of Ju lge R. P. Hill. No. 1 Justice Court in the rear of the bank is occupied by Ed Durham as a first class barber shop.
The inside view of the bank shows tbe now venerable president, C. H. Dennison; the cashier, Earl B. Jack- son: and F. M. Borton, assistant cashier, in attendance. it was taken by Mr. J. W. Wilder, of this city in January 1904.
The bank furnishings are of ma- hogany and have no superior in ma- terial or finish in Chicago. St. Louis, or any other city in the United States. The work was done by Kloak Brothers, Cincinnati, Ohio, in July, 1903, at a cost of $1,200.
It had been furnished before but the burning of the Benson block next to it in February, 1903, de- stroved the interior by the falling of the whole adjacent wall by which a 2-foot brick wall, two stories in heighth was precipitated into the bank through its glass partition on the south side, crusbing the whole internal fixtures into kindling woo'. This was followed by fire and that by a deluge of water by which com- bination it was pretty effectually wiped out. It has however, Phoenix like, risen from its ashes and is more beautiful than ever. The fol- lowing is the latest report of the
condition of the Marion State and Savings Bank before the commence- ment of business on the 31st day of May, 1905:
RESOURCES.
Loans and Discounts. $293,570 92
Overdrafts, .. 6 640 83
Real Estate owned by the Bank 323 55
Furniture and Fixtures. .. 3.307 00
Due from National Banks 79,497 09
Due froffi State Banks and Bankers 39,027 17
Checks and Other Cash Items ..
705 45
Cash on hand-a. Gold Coin b. Silver Coin
2,375 00
697 25
Gold and Silver Treas'y Cer-
tificates. National Bank Cur-
rency, Legal Tender and
Treas'y Notes ...
15,725 00
Fractional Currency, nickels, cents 51 75
Total. $442,511 61
LIABILITIES.
Capital Stock paid in. $ 60,000 00
Surplus Fund ..
Undivided Profits. less expenses a: d
taxes paid ... 2,962 55
Time deposits-savings. -Certificates 207,420 55
9.382 17
Demand Deposits-Individual 107,601 65
Certificates 25,144 39
Total .$442,511 61
HON. CHARLES H. DENNISON.
Hon. Charles H. Dennison, Mayor of Marion and President of the Ma- rion State and Savings Bank, was born in Seneca county, New York August 31st, 1837, the third of sev- en children. His father, Edward Dennison, was a native of Vermont of Irish descent, born 1789 anl died in MeHenry county, Ittinois, in 1872. His mother, whose maiden name was Evelina Hitchcock, was of English ancestors and horn in Utica, N. Y., in 1808. They married in Utica and moved to Huron county, Ohio, in 1841. In 1849 they came to Mc- Henry county, finnois. She died at the residence of her son in Marion in July, 1886.
30,000 00
Our subject was reared on a farm and educated in the common school of MeHenry and taught school two years after he was 20 in the Me- Henry county public schools. His marriage took place in 1869, when he settled on a farm at Bainbridge anl alternated farming and dealing in live stock with school teaching until 1873. At the fall election of 1×72 he was elected circuit clerk of Williamson county on the Democrat- ic ticket with the late Joseph W. Hartwell as his antagonist. His first experience in politics was in 1870 and on the following New Years day moved his family to Ma- rion, where he was beaten for sher- iff by Alonzo Owen with 40 votes. At the expiration of his official term as circuit clerk he entered into part- nership with W. H. Bundy in the drug business, but two years later sold out his interest to W. S. Wash- burn and confined his business to handling real estate and live stock. His election to the mayorality did not occur until the spring of 1903. He went into banking in 1890 with Mr. Searing, opening a private bank under the firm name of Searing ant Dennison with $30,000 capital. A little later Mr. J. H. Burnett came into the firm and afterwards bought out Mr. Searing's interest. In July 24, 1902, the present Marion State and Savings Bank was incorporated with a capital of $60,000 in which Mr. Dennison is the largest and Mr. Burnett the second largest stock- holder. The stock is now held at 100 per cent premium and none for sale. It pays 20 per cent annual dividends. Mr. Dennison is a care- ful conservative financier, not given to wildcat schemes of speculation and has heen very fortunate and successful all his life. Intimate friends ascribe his good fortune to his open ear to the advice of his tal- ented better half, which opinion is, of course, strictly orthodox, and in entire accord with all the wise-acres from Adam down, who it must be admitted, was a notable exception and was ruined by trying to set the proper pace in the race. His de- scendents however, have refused to take warning by his horrible ex- ample and have found their happi- ness and good luck in doing exactly the thing which drove him from hor- ticulture to farming and stock rais- ing among the thistles. Probably their success in doing so may be as- cribed to the homeopathic principles of "Similia, similibus curantor" which liberally translated means "the hair of the same doy cures the bite." At any rate he did the wisest thing his ancestors have ever done when March 21, 1869, he took him a "rib." The maiden name of the fortunate lady was Mary E., daugh- ter of Dr. S. H. and Mary A. Bundy, nee Smith. She was born in DeKalb
111
SOUVENIR OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
county, Tennessee, in 1848, and has proven herself indeed a "help-meet" to her husband until the present hour and are able to reckon their property accumulations at over $200,000. They own four fine farms in this county valued at $50,000, other realty of equal amount includ- ing their elegant home on West Main street ; the splendid store building of the Allen Phyfer Chemi- cal building of St. Louis; the largest drug house in the city; the fine Den- nison building in Marion; $12,000 stock in the bank of which he is president and $5,000 stock in the Allen Phyfer Co. Their chillren in the order of their births are Leon E. Dennison in the Wholesale Dry Goods business at Cairo: Edward Everett Dennison, attorney at law in Marion: Mrs. Lora B., the wife of Charles E. Lane, vice president and general manager of the Allen Phy- fer Chemical Co., and Samuel B. Dennison, farmer at Marion.
W. W. WHITTINGTON.
W. W. Whittington, grain dealer and miller, Vice President Marion State and Savings Bank. The sub- ject of this sketch is another of the solid men of Marion whose life be- gan and has been spent in this and the adjoining counties. He was born in Frankin county near Benton, May 8th, 1850, and spent his boyhood on a farm. After the usual training in the common schools he took a scien- tific course at Ewing College from which he graduated in 1873 .. After several terms of school teaching he entered the profession of surveying and civil engineering, which he fol- lowed for nine years. This brought him into business relations with railroad men and he gradually got into the hard-wood lumber business, dealing in bridge timber, railroad ties, etc. Among other johs he fur- nished all the timber for bridges and cattle-guards and all the ties on the C. & E. I. Ry. from Mt. Vernon to Marion. This has, however, heen more as a side line with him, as milling has been the principal oc- cupation of his life. He first oper- ated a flouring mill at Benton, then at Johnson City for four years, com- ing to Marion and buying the Marion Elevator and Mills in 1900. He did not move his family, however, until two years ago. He was united in marriage to Miss Rebecca R. Mat- thews September, 1875, by whom he is the father of four children, two sons and two daughters, all of whom are living. When the old Marion bank was reorganized and became the Marion State and Savings Bank he became one of its directors and at its annual election last December was elected Vice President.
He belongs to Fellowship Lodge No. 89, Royal Arch Masons.
EARL B. JACKSON.
The popular Cashier of the Ma- rion State and Savings Bank is wholly a child of Marion, where he was born October 9, 1874. With the exception of two terms in Car- bondale he received his education in the public and High Schools of this city from which the graduated in 1893. For eighteen months he was Assistant Postmaster and afterwards for about twenty months Assistant Cashier of the Bank of Norris City, White county, when he entered the employ of the Old Bank of Marion as Assistant Cashier. After two and one-half years he was promoted to Cashier. Upon its reorganization in July. 1903, he was at once selected by the management for Cashier, which position he still holds. In July, 1×98, he was united in mar- riage to Miss Carra Barnes, of Nor- ris City, by whom he is father of one child, Pauline, now four years old.
Besides his bank interest he is a partner with his father, J. C. Jack- son, in the furniture business on West Main street, and Treasurer of Special School District of Marion. He is an active member of the M. E. church and belongs to the K. of P. and Modern Woodmen.
FRANK R. BORTON.
Frank R. Borton is Assistant Cash- ier of the Marion State and Savings Bank. This promising young ac- countant and financier was born in Marion September 24, 1884. His parents were James M. Borton and Anna Goodalı. He accompanied them when an infant to St. Louis and attendel the public schools of that city until about fourteen years old when he returned to Marion and has since made his home with his grandparents, Frank Goodall and wife. Upon his return to Marion he entered the eighth grade and then the High School from which he grad- uated with high honors in the class of 1903. On the 16th of the follow- ing June he got a position as Book- keeper in the Marion State and Sav- ings Bank, and gave such good satis- faction that he not only held his place, but at the election of officers in October, 1904, was promoted to his present position. Although not yet 21 he has established a good reputation and stands deservedly high in public esteem and has a bril- liant future before him.
WILEY G. COCHRAN.
Wiley G. Cochran, lumber dealer and Director of Marion State and Savings Bank, was born February 4. 1863, in Benton, the county seat of Franklin county, Illinois. He re- ceived a common school education
in Franklin. Cn January 28, 1891, he married Miss Hawley Esken, daughter of \. L. Esken, of Ben- ton. In 1897 he purchased the lum- ber yards of J. Vick & Company at Marion, and moving his family here became a prominent resident of the town. They have one child. Mr. Cochran first became connected with the Board of Education in 1901, but his time expires at the present spring election, and he does not aspire to re-election. He carries a moderate but finely assorted stock of lumber and its usual branches at his place of business on S. Market street, near public square. He is a member of the order of Hoo Hoo, a lumber- mans' organization, and is a K. of P .. Monitor, Lodge No. 236.
THOMAS A. COX.
Thomas A. Cox, dealer in imple- ments and director of Marion State and Savings Bank, is a native of Illi- nois, born in Union county, April 8th, 1850, on a farm near Joneshoro. He was reared on a farm and follow- ed the occupation until a year ago when he removed to Marion and en- tered the implement business. He attended the common school of Union county until his removal to this county in 1871, when 21 years old. That same year, October 5th, he was united in marraige to Miss Nancy C. Rendleman and reared a family of five children now living. Two died in infancy. He never united with any secret order, but is an active member of the Missionary Baptist church.
In politics he is a Democrat, pru- dent and successful as a business man and one of the Directors of the Marion State and Savings Bank.
April 15, 1903, he and A. M. Townsend went into the implement business under the firm name of Cox & Townsend. They handle all sorts of farm tools, wagons, buggies, etc.
WILLIAM THOMAS NEWTON.
William Thomas Newton, Director of the Marion State and Savings Bank, was born near Gallatin, Sum- ner county, Tennessee, September 30th, 1843. His parents movel to Logan county, Kentucky, when he was an infant of three or four months and to Williamson county in 1856, reaching here March 30th, when our subject was 12 years and 6 months old. They bought for $500 the 80 acres of land on which the Virginia Mine is now worked, the shaft being sunk on the very 40 where the house stood, four miles north of Marion.
He was married on the 10th of December, 1863, to Elizabeth Boyd, a native of St. Clair county, who bore him four children, all of whom
112
SOUVENIR OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
are living. She died on the liih of March, 1884, and on January 27, 1886, he took for his second wife Rebecca Herrin, whose great grand- father settled on and gave name to the prairie on which the town of Herrin stands. She died June 9. 1×91. In 1877 he was elected Jus- tice of the Peace in Lake Creek Township, where Johnson City now stands, and served for nine years, when he resigned.
In 1864 he moved into the woods one mile south of the present site of Johnson City and lived there for thirty years. No one then dreamed of the vast wealth hidden in the bowels of the earth he peacefully tilled for so many years, but after he sold his farm the great Williamson County Mine was located on it.
He moved into Marion in Decem- ber, 1894, where he has since lived. In politics he is a Democrat and cast his first vote for president for Gen. George B. McClelland. In De- cember, 1903 he was elected one of the directors of the Marion State and Savings Bank. Marion was at one time a great initial tobacco mar- ket and as many as fifty loaded to- bacco wagons have been counted on its streets in a day. Counting from his Kentucky experience, Mr. New- ton planted and raised thirty-one crops of tobacco in succession, and some of his neighbors did even bet- ter, showing the possibilities of to- bacco culture in Egypt and the ca- pabilities of its soil,
M. L. BAKER.
M. L. Baker, a director of the Ma- rion State and Savings Bank and a member of the firm of Duncan & Baker. The subject of our sketch is the son of T. D. Baker and Eliza- beth J. (Sanders) Baker. The father is of English origin and was born in Mecklenburg county, N. C., April 17th, 1822, emigrated with his parents to Tennessee, grew to man- hood, married and in 1856 moved to Williamson county, Illinois, locating on a farm in the southwest corner of the county, where he resided until 1883. when he sold his farm and moved to Marion in said county, where he died April 28, 1904, being one of the oldest inhabitants of the county at his death.
The mother was born in Benton county, Tennessee, January 19th, 1828, and died in Williamson coun- ty, Illinois, June 13th, 1877. Aunt Lizzie, as she was familiarly called, was the family physician and coun- selor in the pioneer families for miles around where she lived and her name and presence was so indis- solnably connected with their joys and sorrows that she yet lives though dead.
Our subject was born in Benton County, Tennessee, July 5, 1854. He
was two years of age when his pa- rents moved to Williamson County, Illinois. He grew to manhood on the farm, attending school about three months each winter. At the age of sixteen he began teaching in the country schools, teaching in the win- ter and farming in the summer. At eighteen he attended the S. I. N. U. one term and afterwards Ewing Col- lege two terms, paying his expenses by labor on the farm during the in- tervening vacations.
He studied law in the offices of Hon. F. M. Youngblood and Judge D. M. Browning, at Benton, Franklin County, Illinois, and was admitted to the bar in 1881 at Mount Vernon, Ill., being one of the sucessful ap- plicants in a class in which over one- fourth failed to pass.
He first opened an office in Carter- ville, this county, but in the Spring of 1883 located in Marion, where he still resides. At the Municipal Elec- tion in 1885 he was elected City At- torney, and in 1886 he was appointed Master in Chancery of his County, which office he held for three terms.
September 22nd, 1887, he was married to Amanda M. Spiller, (or as he puts it, he invested $1.00 in the matrimonial lottery and drew the capital prize). Two children bless this union, Manda E. and Miles L.
In 1897 his health failed and under the advice of his physican, with great reluctance he abandoned his chosen profession.
In the Fall of the same year he formed a partnership with John H. Duncan and engaged in the retail hardware and furniture trade. The business of the firm prospered and in the Fall of 1903 the business was incorporated under the name of Duncan -- Baker Hardware Co., capital stock $30,000.00; a branch store established at Johnston City and a jobbing department added. He is the Secretary and Treasurer of said cor- poration.
At the organization of the Marion State and Savings Bank he was elect- ed a member of the Board of Di- rectors, was appointed as a member of the committee on auditing and ex- amination of accounts, and still holds said offices.
Williamson County Savings Bank.
The following is a statement of the condition of the Williamson County Savings Bank, a group of whose offi- cers appears on page 49 of this Sou- venir, before the commencement of business on May 31, 1905:
RESOURCES.
Loans and discounts. .$142 379 50 Overdrafts .. 291 70
Furniture and Fixtures 2.375 00
Dne from National Banks 26 247 50
Cash on hand-a Gold coin .. 685 00
Gold Treasury Certificates 2 480 00
b. Silver Coin 649 00
Silver Treas'y Certificates 2.476 00
c. National Fank Currency. 985 00
d. Leg'l tender and treas. n,ts 48, 00
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